Improper Asbestos Removal Causes Fines
There has been a lot in the news lately about improper removal of asbestos that has led to fines for developers, contractors, store and property owners. Asbestos is an air contaminant for which there is no known safe level of exposure and a respiratory hazard. Asbestos exposure and inhalation of asbestos fibers cause serious diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer, often resulting in death.
Fines are being handed out to those removing asbestos improperly. A little over a week ago, Brooklyn developer State Assets LLC faced a fine of $48,100 due to allegations of serious violations of health and safety standards at a New Haven site. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited State Assets for 18 violations. One of these citations was for willful violation, an act where the employer knew of a work hazard and acted with intentional disregard for employee safety and health. It is alleged that unprotected workers were removing asbestos from an unventilated property, that piles of asbestos-coated debris had been left unsecured outside, and that illegal immigrants had been unloading the asbestos laden material out at night without any training, proper protection, or safe disposal.
Another developer in Oregon also faces fines for improper asbestos disposal. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) cited two contract construction companies for violations made during demolition of three mobile homes in Bend. The Hoviss Build Group LLC and Willamette Builders Group LLC were cited for performing unlicensed asbestos abatement and failing to deposit asbestos-containing waste material at DEQ- approved sites.
This week, the retailer Woolworths is being fined after improper removal of asbestos during renovations at two Devon stores caused hazardous exposure to staff. For more details, read the headlines news at Clapper, Patti, Schweizer, and Mason.
In all three situations, surveys had been previously conducted before demolition that detected the presence of asbestos and yet the removal of the dangerous material was not removed properly nor according to set health standards. Licensed asbestos abatement contractors must handle asbestos-containing materials, especially those that are “friable” and can easily release asbestos fibers into the air. Licensed contractors who perform removal according to health standards prevent exposure to others and prevent ongoing emissions of asbestos into the air.
